Notes about my holiday trip to the Philippines (Cebu, Part 1)

Moved out and renovated a house in Cavite. Brought family to Cebu. Dated in Kawasan Falls. Vacationed in Davao for the first time. Got engaged.

Highlights of my 35-day trip to the Philippines. First up, renovating the house and bringing my siblings to Cebu.

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When I arrived in Dasmarinas, Cavite on December 18th, I came home to a house half-filled with cement and some furniture. My family just moved out to a partially finished house. The kitchen floor needed tiles; the window was covered by a piece of wood. Within ten days, we finished the floor and window and painted the dining room. We moved out of the old house, cleaned, varnished the cabinets and purchased supplies. Thanks to my best friend Jonathan, who was a house guest but turned out to be a carpenter. It was my responsibility to create a comfortable home for my siblings, and I did. After some coughs and feverish bouts, I flew to Cebu.

For the last three years, I've been spending New Year's Eve with Jovi and his family. This trip is different -- for the first time, I'm bringing all my siblings with me. I promised them lots of new friends, food and ocean.

Wolen and Mikkel, on our way to Kaw-oy

Ace swam in the ocean for the first time. Ces took the cob webs out of her bathing suit.

We did all the touristy Cebu stuff, then jumped from one family lunch to another.

Ces doing the cover story for Philippine Inquirer Golf

The number one ranked golfer in the country! Keep it up, baby cakes.

 There were my loves -- Princess bantering with Jovi, Ace trying to speaking in english to Mikkel and Pio, and Wolen gnawing on Conching's and tablea tsokolate. Even Jovi's dad took out their boat, "Jersey Girl," to take us to lunch at Kaw-oy. I felt so happy that my siblings are finally witness to what I do in Cebu, to how Jovi and his family take good care of me, and simply, how Cebu life is in the holidays. A few weeks later, my grandmother reveals to me that Ace "wants to buy tickets back to Cebu already."

(To be continued...)